Kisses and Crushes

While I'm eating my Chicken Chili, I listen as Claire tells me about the Presidential Fitness tests they had in P.E. As I listened about her amazing number of push ups and sit-ups, and her disappointment in her 1/2 mile run, my mind started to drift just a bit as I enjoyed the well flavored juicy chunks of chicken in my soup.

Then just as I was draining my bowl I hear Claire say, "Oh, mom, guess what? Will wants to kiss me!" As chili sprayed from my mouth due to my astonishment I said, "WHAT?" I tried to quickly recover and told myself, "Be cool, be cool, you want the details, you want her to talk, be cool." So with as much dignity as a mom can have with soup on her face I said, "Do you mean Will from your class?"

"Yes. He really wants to kiss me."

Suddenly I'm very grateful that I volunteer a lot. I know all the kids. I know Will. I already have my opinion formed.

I asked Claire how she knew Will wanted to kiss her and she said, "Well the other day he was telling people at the table that he liked me, like a girlfriend. Then today he told me he wanted to kiss me."

"Well did you kiss him?"

"Eeww! NO! I told him I was never kissing him. Then he said, 'Well I'm not checking you off my list until I do.' And I said to him, 'well what if I move?' and he said, 'well my dad is the chief of spies, so we can find you.'"

Claire then busted up and said, "Can you believe that? He actually said they were the chief of spies! That's crazy!"

"Yeah, that's pretty funny," I said. And inside I'm thinking "Phew. My girl has it under control."

Claire, in her annoyed voice, says, "Well and then I got caught talking to Will and I got in trouble because I was talking, but he's the one that started the conversation. But if we keep talking then Mrs. Kirn has to separate us."

"Well maybe you should just keep talking." I said.

Claire just stares at me as if I've gone a bit loco.

At this point Jeremiah says, "Why does Will want to kiss you?"

"Because he likes me. But you don't kiss on the lips until your like 16."

Then Jeremiah, is his most concerned/depressed voice on the verge of tears said, "You mean I have to kiss on the LIPS when I'm 16?!"

That was too much and I snorted trying to keep my laughter under control. We then had a talk about lip kissing, affection, and dating. Jeremiah was relieved and Claire seemed intrigued. I told her I was glad she chose not to kiss Will. To which Claire said, "Yeah, and anyway he's 9! I'm just 7. But when I'm 16 I bet all the boys like me because of my cute smile."

Jeremiah thought that was hilarious and I relaxed as I told myself Claire wasn't interested in boys, a boy was just interested in her.

I then stood up to go to the sink when Claire leans forward and with this giggly little grin says, "But Mom, I really like Jacob..." And I'm grateful I have no soup left to spray all over the place again.